


Rubbed Off Stars

by ohhihoney



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Based on a Tumblr Post, Bisexual Disaster Sokka (Avatar), First Meetings, Fluff, Gay Zuko (Avatar), I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Light Angst, M/M, Makeup, Pride
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2020-09-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:21:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26363320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohhihoney/pseuds/ohhihoney
Summary: Sokka wasn't going to just sit and watch the boy at the back of the bus cry while trying to rub off pride flags off his cheeks.
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 17
Kudos: 652





	Rubbed Off Stars

**Author's Note:**

> Well, hello! Welcome to another of my works and as you can see in above, this is based on a Tumblr post, which I wish I could tag but I saw it on Instagram and never saw it again. English is not my first language, so, please, if there's anything wrong I'd appreciate it if you would tell me and if you're going to do it, try to do it at least a little bit kindly. Hope you enjoy what I wrote as my computer updated!

Sokka liked boys and girls and he had absolutely no problem admitting it.

Today had been Pride and it was the moment to not only admit it, but to shout it and wave flags about it. He had blue, purple and pink paint on his cheeks and tiredness in his body, it had been a long day but he wouldn't exchange it for anything. The dancing, the shouting and thrill of the parade wouldn't leave his body for weeks.

It was late when he finally arrived at the bus stop, way later than what his dad told him to come back but Katara, his sister, had gave Sokka some money and asked him to buy some wet wipes and a hand mirror because hers had been broken and she had a date in a few days. If Sokka didn't come back with those things, he better not come back at all.

The parade had almost finished when he remembered the money in his pocket, and just because he got really hungry and was looking for money. It was nearly nine o'clock at night and most stores we're closing so taking advantage he was already downtown, he ran around looking for an open place..

It felt weird, and slightly scary as well, to walk around alone at this hours of the night, specially covered in rainbow confetti but Sokka wasn't going to back off. He calmly paced around the bus stop as he waited for his ride back home with two other people, who barely spared Sokka a second glance.

The bus arrived soon after that and he sat down near a window, watching the lampposts and the empty sidewalk outside. After a few more stops, he was falling asleep with his head leaned against the window when a quiet sniffle suddenly startled him awake.

The noise was coming from the seats behind him, those at the very back of the bus and Sokka, being himself, felt immediately curious about it.

He hesitated, turning around would be too obvious, right? An idea popped in his head, then he mentally apologized to Katara and opened her round, blue hand mirror. With his tongue slightly peeking out from his mouth, Sokka angled the mirror and glanced behind him.

Confusion immediately filled his mind, followed by a foreign sadness that made his heart clench in his chest. 

At the back of the bus there was a boy with messy, jet black hair harshly rubbing his cheeks, which had rainbow flags painted on them. He was using his phone as a mirror and with every second that passed, he looked more and more distressed, with his lips pursed and his amber eyes glistening.

Sokka definitely hadn't seen the boy, who seemed to be around his age, at the parade. He'd remember someone wearing all black at such a colorful event.

The boy's hand tightly holding the phone shaked, Sokka thought it might break but in that instant, the only thing that broke was his heart when he saw tears starting to slide down from the boy's eyes. He let out a loud groan of frustration and then buried his face in his hand, his shoulders shook as he tried to hold back a sob.

That was it, Sokka couldn't just sit there and watch. Without a second thought, he stood up from his seat and walked to the boy.

"Hey," Sokka started as he sat down beside him.

The boy flinched and roughly dried his tears before starting at Sokka with a shocked expression. "What do you want?"

His angry voice didn't match his down appearance, Sokka suddenly felt like he was locked out of a room before even knocking on the door. Yet, he kept trying and half smiled at the boy. "My name is Sokka."

"Alright, Sokka, what do you want?"

"I'd like to help you."

The boy's expression fell blank and tears began to well up in his eyes again.

"I don't need your help," his voice cracked in the middle of his words.

Sokka didn't reply and instead searched into the pharmacy paper bag in his hands, then he pulled out the packet of wet wipes.

"I understand you may not want my help," Sokka tried to speak in the most gentle voice he could, "and I don't want to be rude but something tells me you need it."

The boy's lower lip trembled and Sokka was able to tell how hard he was trying to hold back his tears. After a moment of hesitation, switching looks between Sokka and the wet wipes, the boy swallowed and slowly nodded.

"Alright," Sokka said, "what do you think if we get off this bus? I'll pay your fee when we're done."

He received another nod as an answer. They both got up and stepped down the bus at the next stop, a chilly breeze suddenly sending a chill through Sokka's skin.

There wasn't any place they could sit on, no park or plaza so Sokka scanned the place and saw a small convenience store across the street. He glanced at the boy behind him, who was staring deeply at his worn out shoes with his hand in his pockets, and walked forward.

They sat on the sidewalk of the convenience store, facing a parking lot with enough space for just two cars. And awkward silence fell between, Sokka not really knowing where to start. The boy surprised him when, despite his slightly hoarse voice, he spoke clearly.

"I'm Zuko, by the way."

Sokka smiled as he opened the packet of wet wipes. "That's nice, it suits you."

He has never met anyone named Zuko and he was sure there wasn't any stereotype associated with the name but Sokka genuinely didn't know what to say, sudden nerves filling his veins. Nevertheless, Zuko got his point across and didn't comment on his tasteless reply.

Sokka rubbed his hand as hard as he could on his jeans to clean them up at least a bit, then he breathed in and leaned closer to Zuko's face.

It wasn't the first time he wiped makeup, after all he was Suki's favorite lab rat for her extravagant and flashy looks so he got used to wearing makeup on his face. The thing is that he usually wiped his own face rather roughly so gentleness wasn't exactly his forte. He tried his best with Zuko and his red cheeks from the harsh rubbing from earlier, though.

Zuko was breathing very, very slowly and had closed his eyes. Now Sokka was closer, he realized how long Zuko's eyelashes were, especially since they were still a little wet. Sokka also noticed that there was the smallest amount of silver glitter on top of the paint, that now seemed more like a waterfall of stars instead of pride flags.

Zuko was pretty, Sokka decided, as he picked another wet wipe to rub across his high cheekbones and tried not to get too distracted with the almost invisible mole near his temple.

Sokka was almost saddened when there was no trace of the paint left and he would've swore Zuko fell asleep but then, Zuko blinked a couple of times and touched his cheek with his fingertips.

"Thank you," he whispered and the way he said it made Sokka's chest tighten, the sudden urge to hug Zuko filled his body..

"No, don't worry about it."

Zuko opened his mouth but shut it again and stared at his hands, then a quiet calm settled between them. Sokka bit his lip, he needed to leave, Katara and his dad were waiting for him at home but for some reason, it felt wrong to leave Zuko alone. He mentally did the math and then spoke.

"You know? I have almost two dollars left in my wallet, can I invite you something?"

Zuko looked at him with wide eyes and pointed with his thumb at the convenience store, "Like... here?"

"Yep."

A struggle was clearly going on inside Zuko, given the storm in his eyes and the way he tightly pressed his hands together.

In the end, he sharply inhaled and nodded, "Okay."

Sokka quickly stood up and offered his hand to Zuko, who took it and let himself be guided inside. The sudden bright, white lights blinded both of them for a second and made them grimaced but soon got over it and searched for something to buy.

They ended up in the exact same place as earlier, seated on the sidewalk, only this time they had cheap ice creams in their hands. Sokka's hand was freezing but Zuko wanted ice cream so who was Sokka to say no?

They ate in silence, enjoying the peaceful night and listening at the few cars that passed by. The stars and the moon shining brightly above them and the smell of instant coffee coming from the convenience store filling their lungs.

The calm didn't last long because the quiet atmosphere was shattered by an incoming call coming from Zuko's phone. He flinched so hard, the spoon of his cup of ice cream fell into the ground and made Sokka jump as well. 

Zuko cursed under his breath and frantically searched for his phone in his clothes. Sokka thought he'd answer immediately, given the urgency Zuko was looking for it, but no. Zuko stared deeply at the screen of his phone, his chest unmoving and with his hand shaking.

Sokka glanced and saw the word 'dad' on the phonescreen.

Almost an entire minute went by until the call got automatically declined, a heavy tension in the air. Then Zuko turned off his phone and put it back into his pocket.

Sokka knew he had no reason to meddle in other people's business but he couldn't just ignore the way color suddenly left Zuko's face and was still visibly shaken up, with air coming in and out of his nose way too fast and a fear in his eyes. 

It didn't sit right with Sokka to leave him, to leave this stranger to go and face whatever monster lived in his house. 

He softly put his hand on Zuko's shoulder and grimaced when he jerked and looked at Sokka with unfocused eyes. It lasted less than a second, though and Sokka tried his best to be gentle yet determined.

"Zuko, I know that you don't know me," he started, "but as I said in the bus, I'd like to help you."

Zuko's face was suddenly stripped from all emotion, only his breathing as a sign he was alive.

"I also understand that if you want to say no about this," Sokka glanced at the pocket where Zuko's phone was, "I won't argue if that's the case."

Zuko's piercing stare was starting to make him nervous but then Zuko spoke in a strained voice. "And how would you help me?"

Emotion had returned to his face, his tone was bitter and his lips were pursed, his body was tense. Despite all of that, Sokka saw right through the facade and could tell Zuko had way more hurt than what he let show. It was the way he was constantly looking down, as if looking up with hope didn't make sense anymore or the way he seemed like he was about to break down any second but refused to do it, whether it was out of pure stubbornness or buried hope inside of him.

"I can't do much," Sokka replied, with sagged shoulders and feeling slightly defeated but he still believed something could be done, "but what I can do is to offer you a place to sleep if you don't want to go back home tonight."

Zuko was holding his hands together so tight his knuckles turned white and Sokka had the sudden urge to slip his own fingers between but he held back. So many emotions ran through Zuko's eyes. Fear, hope, doubt and determination; so much it seemed like he was about to start crying again.

Sokka was momentarily distracted with the way they seemed to glisten and turn into a warm honey color at the light coming from inside the convenience store, he got so lost that he almost didn't hear Zuko's answer.

"How do I know you're not gonna kidnap me and dump me in a ditch?"

Sokka gave him a small smile and pretended to think, "I guess you'd have to trust me."

Zuko threw him a deadpan look and opened his mouth but Sokka interrupted him. "And you're too pretty to be dumped in a ditch."

The pink blush that creeped up Zuko's cheeks was worth embarrassing himself saying cheesy lines like that, even if they were true. Sokka picked up Zuko's empty ice cream cup from his hands and got up.

"Wait, are you serious?" Zuko asked and his suddenly worried face made Sokka want to punch whoever hurt him in the first place.

Sokka dumped the ice cream cups in a trashcan and extended his hand to Zuko, who was still frozen on the sidewalk. "Of course I am."

Zuko stared at his hand for a second that seemed to stretch on forever until finally he slowly inhaled and accepted Sokka's hand.

"Are you sure people at your house will be okay with this?" Zuko asked.

Sokka grinned and didn't let go of Zuko's hand, "Trust me, Katara, my sister, always cooks too much for dinner anyways."

That comment made the smallest smile spread across Zuko's face and Sokka almost sighed. Later, while crossing the street to the bus stop Sokka tried to let go of Zuko's hand, who only tightened his grasp. 

A smile also spread across Sokka's face.

**Author's Note:**

> And in my head, they lived happily ever after. Hakoda and Katara welcomed Zuko with open arms and later he moved in with Uncle Iroh and Sokka got a boyfriend.
> 
> Also, I have a headcanon Toph and Suki made a bet if Sokka ended up getting a partner at Pride. Now Toph owes Suki some money.


End file.
